Grandpa Jones lived on a farm with his wife, Ramona, and right down the road from Stringbean and Estelle. They were best friends. Grandpa and String used to love to go hunting together, 'til Grandpa and String got to the age where they started getting stove up and hurt to walk very far, when hunting. So, the two old friends stopped going to the fields and woods in Middle Tennessee, like they had for years when they were both younger, but Grandpa kept up a tradition that he had started years before. Ya'see, String was not very adept with his hands, except to play banjo and twirl his porkpie hat around in his signature way. He never could get the hang of taking apart and putting back together, his hunting guns. Grandpa had started coming over to Strings place and taking apart all his guns, oiling and cleaning them, and putting them back together again. It was a tradition for the old friends, and they would sit and talk about the good times, and enjoy just being together, as Grandpa did his chore.
Most mornings, Grandpa and String would go up to a restaurant in Goodlettsville to have breakfast, another tradition that was important to them.
They both worked the Opry, that November Saturday night, and visited briefly backstage, promising to meet for breakfast Sunday morning.
When String did not show up, Grandpa went to the phone and called their farm. No answer. Finally he decided to go check on his friends.
What Grandpa found, broke his heart in a way that only the loss of best friends can do.
We all know the horrible story of the Murder of String and Estelle, two of the finest, gentlest people that's ever been. It doesn't even need to be revisited, but I thought the story of the love between two men of music, and friend doing for friend, was worth the telling.
I loved both men, and their wives, both men and Estelle, gone now, but Ramona, still beautiful and Grandpa and Ramona's daughter, Alicia, still playing the hammered dulcimer, carry on the Jones tradition.
Friends do for friends. That's just the way its always been.
Stan
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